Fundraiser for Austin PBS’s Moving Forward Capital Campaign Salutes Studio’s Legacy

Garth Brooks said a final goodbye to legendary Studio 6A, longtime home to iconic music series Austin City Limits, with two intimate performances on July 20 and 21.  Originally scheduled for May 2020, the concerts raised money for Austin PBS’s Moving Forward Capital Campaign while honoring the legacy of Studio 6A.

“Thirty years ago, Garth made history when he stepped onto the Austin City Limits stage for the first time, and since then he has become one of the biggest worldwide stars in music history,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “We are thrilled and honored to have him return and make history once again, with the final performance ever on a stage that was the original home for what’s become the longest-running music series on television.”

After more than 50 years on the University of Texas Austin campus, Austin PBS recently moved to a brand-new home on the Austin Community College Highland Campus. The larger facility is a modern, state-of-the-art broadcast studio as well as a community space that will allow Austin PBS to create new initiatives.  Brooks’ concerts benefited Austin PBS’s Moving Forward capital campaign to support funding for the new facilities. To find out more go to austinpbs.org/farewell. 

Brooks made two Austin City Limits appearances in Studio 6A.  He first appeared on the program in 1990, at the beginning of his career, and returned a decade later to both open and close ACL’s milestone 25th anniversary season with two hourlong episodes, performing career highlights and fan favorites.  During a post-show interview, Brooks said, “Buddy, this is ACL, OK?  If we’re baseball players, this is the World Series.  The thing I like about Austin City Limits is that it hasn’t changed.  It’s still like getting around your family in your living room and playing music. I think that’s what I love most about it.”

Since its debut in 1974, the Peabody Award-winning Austin City Limits has hosted hundreds of legendary artists and music innovators, including Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Leonard Cohen, Pearl Jam, B. B. King, Foo Fighters, The Chicks and more. Studio 6A was officially designated a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark in 2009.  

The final Austin City Limits episode in Studio 6A was taped in 2010, when the program moved to its current studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater, in downtown Austin, where it will continue to be taped. Studio 6A has been used consistently throughout the years for community events, town hall discussions and many other Austin PBS programs including Arts in Context, Central Texas Gardener and Overheard with Evan Smith. The studio also hosted tapings for the TNN/CMT programs Legends of Country Music and The Texas Connection, as well as CBS’s Willie Nelson: The Big Six-0 60th birthday special.